It’s here, the last month of 2022! December will feel different, as some of the planets will be moving from mutable fire (Sagittarius) to cardinal earth (Capricorn). As the ambitious energy of the Sagittarius begins to take hold, we might fall into the trap of wanting to push forward certain goals. But remember, Mars is still in retrograde only to be joined by Mercury at month’s end. With planets moving backwards in the sky, December is much better spent in deep reflection. Before we enter 2023, the universe requests that we focus on healing, which will require honesty and courage on our end.

It’s November: Eclipse season, midterm elections and soon, the holidays. We’re coming to the finish line of a tumultuous year. As we journey through November, we will also be working with the energies of Mars Retrograde that happened in October. Mars Retrograde can sometimes make us feel sluggish or can heighten feelings of burnout if we have been doing too much or pushing too hard.

Welcome to fall! As we adapt to the new season, there’s a feeling of imminent change in the air. Because of their retrogrades, Saturn and Uranus have come closer together once again. While their square isn’t totally perfect this time, it’s still change-inducing influence is quite active. Once again, the structures of our lives are up for renewal, but first, they will have to collapse. This process, at some level or another, has most likely been in place.

Mercury stations retrograde on this Friday, September 9 in Libra, and stations direct on Sunday, October 2 in Virgo. Mercury’s retrograde journey from Libra to Virgo will excavate the underbelly of idealistic dreams, examining how to build a more solid foundation underneath the visions for creative expansion you have been developing. While Mercury is retrograde in Libra, it will form an opposition with Jupiter in Aries on September 18 that can lead to questioning where you have had inflated beliefs and need to reconsider your perspective. Once Mercury enters Virgo on September 23, it will form a trine aspect with Pluto, a creatively stimulating conjunction with Venus, and a tense opposition with Neptune that can help distinguish the path to follow forward that is empowering and will allow you to bring ideas into form through realistic steps and goals.

September is a definitive U-turn month as six planets will be retrograde by the second weekend. Five of them are the slow-moving outer planets of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. In all fairness, they spent one-third to half of the year in this reflective position, which doesn’t necessarily mess with the day-to-day machinations of our lives. If anything, outer planet retrogrades are a chance to recalibrate and course correct. We could all use that sometimes. The tricky one is Mercury, the planet of communication, technology and travel, but more on that later. As always, September is a transitional month, as it brings the energy of Virgo. Being the only mutable earth sign, Virgo’s energy is calming and grounding, with the finality of helping us put our lives in order before the season ahead. Leo season is always intense, so the opportunity to catch our breath is more than refreshing.